Opera Omnia (Vol. 1, Part 2): Mysticism and Spirituality – Spirituality, the Way of Life (HB) | By Raimon Panikkar (Author) Milena Carrara Pavan (Editor) | MLBD Publications

While the first part of Mysticism and Spirituality was dedicated to mysticism as the supreme experience of reality, this second part deals with spirituality understood more as a path for reaching this experience. The author, despite being well aware of the difficulty of defining modern-day spirituality with its many diverse paths relating not only to traditions and worship but also to the various sensitivities of individuals and to the historical period, nevertheless manages to outline this spirituality in a way that fully expresses its ability to involve Man in his complete reality, as is summed up in the four Greek words soma – psichê – polis – kosmos (body, soul, society and cosmos). Man also discovers, however, a divine element that is both immanent and transcendent. And it is precisely this mysterious element, this breath, this transcendent and immanent presence which gives things, as well as Man himself, their identity.

Spirituality is like a “navigation chart” for the sea of Man’s life: the sum total of the principles directing his dynamism towards “God”, as some say, or towards a just society or overcoming suffering, as others say. We can, therefore, talk about buddhist spirituality, even though Buddhists do not talk about God; or of marxist spirituality, although Marxists are allergic to religious language. Such a broad concept of spirituality expresses rather a quality of life, of action, of thought, etc., that is not bound to any particular doctrine, confession or religion, no matter how well recognised its foundations may be.

By Raimon Panikkar (Author), Milena Carrara Pavan (Editor), Dr Karan Singh (Foreword), Kapila Vatsyayan (Foreword)